Medieval Merchants

As towns and cities grew in medieval times there was a growing demand for everyday items such as salt, metals and textiles and more products became available as the medieval era progressed. Medieval merchants sold items such food, clothing, shoes, weapons, furniture and beer which the Merchants sold to the medieval people in the towns, villages and cities.

Travelling Medieval Merchants

Some Merchants would travel from town to town selling their goods like modern day travelling salesmen, major trade routes developed and much trade went on in the larger towns in cities where the travelling merchants provided essential and sometimes exotic goods for the people to buy or exchange.

Definition of a Medieval Merchant

Medieval merchants indulged in trade and commerce. The word “merchant” itself has roots in the Latin language word “mercari” which means “to traffic”. Thus a medieval merchant was someone who travelled from place to place for the sake of business.

The increase in population and subsequent rise in towns and cities led to increasing trade for medieval merchants

Medieval merchants provided essential good such as food and furniture but also sold exotic goods as they began to travel across the world

The word merchant comes from the word “mercari” that means “to traffic”, so the trafficking of goods.

Travelling medieval merchants travelled from village to town to city selling their goods

Many medieval merchants had their own properties that they traded from in medieval towns and cities

Medieval Merchants pharmacy shop

Types of Medieval Merchants

There were various types of medieval merchants. Broadly speaking, medieval merchants fell into one of the two categories of wholesale merchants and retail merchants. The former kind of medieval merchants were those who operated large businesses and often travelled to other countries as well. The latter type, on the other hand, mainly consisted of small medieval merchants or shopkeepers who sold goods in small qualities.

Medieval Merchant Lives

For medieval merchants operating in the markets, morning was the most active time of the day. It was at this time that they sold their goods in the market. Things quieted down in the afternoon so merchants who were late could be at a loss. The merchants who travelled to other countries spent a considerable amount of their lives travelling over land and sea. There were strict regulations for foreign medieval merchants and sometimes they were at a clear disadvantage compared to local merchants.

Medieval Merchant Clothing

The clothing of medieval merchants changed over the centuries as their status improved during the late medieval times. The rich medieval merchants used expensive clothes with better materials and brighter colours, as they travelled to exotic locations where it was cheap to buy products, they were able to buy different and lavish costumes made from exotic materials such as silk fairly cheaply. One of the most common costumes of wealthy medieval merchants toward the end of the middle ages consisted of a hose and a jacket sometimes accompanied with pleating or skirting.

Most medieval merchants were either retailers or wholesalers similar to today

Medieval merchants had to be up early in the morning or they would miss most of the days business

Strict trading rules were in place for medieval merchants who had come from other countries to sell their goods in England

Many Medieval merchants wore a hose and a jacket

Medieval Merchant was part of a Guild was usually displayed over the Shop

Medieval Merchant Guilds

Medieval merchants formed various guilds during the medieval times to safeguard their interests. Merchant guilds began to be established in England after the Norman Conquest and soon they became quite powerful. Medieval merchant guilds came into being after the lords and owners of the land imposed high taxes on trade. Thus these guilds were formed to safeguard the interests of the medieval merchants and to regulate the tax imposed on them.

Medieval Merchants Homes

Medieval merchants houses were in much better shape compared to the houses of the common people. Initially, medieval merchants lived in small houses made of stone and wood but with the passage of time, as their status and importance grew in society, they began to build large houses. The Two most important elements used in construction of Merchants houses still remained wood and stone.

Medieval Merchants Wealth

During the early medieval times, trade opportunities were less and thus medieval merchants did not enjoy great wealth. However, during the middle and particularly late medieval times, trade with other countries increased and thus was further impacted by the discovery of new sea routes and lands. Thus during the late medieval ages, medieval merchants amassed huge amounts of money and many of them became wealthy individuals.

Fast Ships were used by Medieval merchants

Summary Medieval Merchants

The social and economic status of the medieval merchants transformed over various centuries. Initially, they were exploited by the aristocracy and had to face heavy taxes. But medieval merchants formed guilds to safeguard their interest and regulate taxes. With the discovery of new sea routes and increase in international trade, many medieval merchants became quite wealthy and powerful.

Merchants became members of medieval guilds to protect their interests

Guilds were not established in England until after the Norman invasion which also introduced Feudalism to England

Most merchants houses were made of wood and stone, later merchants houses were large and impressive in line with their new found wealth

Trading with foreign countries helped medieval merchants to become very wealthy people

Guilds were formed to regulate the taxes paid by medieval merchants and protect their interests

We hope you enjoyed this article on medieval merchants, if you would like to learn more about medieval merchants and medieval people in general please follow the links to other articles at the bottom of this medieval merchants page.